Motor driven vehicular chassis and load carrying platform or container for transport thereby

ABSTRACT

The invention consists in the combination of a motor driven chassis and a platform having front and rear supporting legs with releasable struts. The legs are hingedly secured to the platform and the latter is provided with rollers at its forward end and towards its rear end is provided with a combination of fixed and movable pulleys together with cable trained over the pulleys and anchored to the rear legs and to a fixture. The chassis is provided with rails extending along the chassis girders, the rails being pivoted to the girders towards their forward ends and forming downwardly inclined ramps at their rear ends. The chassis is further provided with a pair of toggles operated by a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly and having hooklike members. When the chassis is backed below a free standing platform the rollers cooperate with the ramps and run on the rails, the front end of the platform is raised, the struts of the front legs are released and said legs are folded upwardly and rearwardly, the toggles are then operated to raise the rails, to cause the hooklike members to lock the platform to the chassis and to move the movable pulleys so that the cables release the struts of the rear legs which are folded upwardly and inwardly, further movement of the toggles lowering the platform and the rails. By reversing the movement of the piston the cycle of operations is reversed to leave the platform free standing.

[451 Mar. 28, 1972 [541 MOTOR DRIVEN VEHICULAR CHASSIS AND LOAD CARRYINGPLATFORM 0R CONTAINER FOR TRANSPORT THEREBY [72] Inventor: DrummondSteen Poyner Black, 25 Clark Avenue, Edinburgh, 5, Scotland [22] Filed:Sept. 15, 1970 21 Appl. No.2 72,787

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 22, 1969 Great Britain..46,49l/69 [52] U.S. Cl.... ..2l4/5l5, 254/47 [51] Int. Cl ..B60p 1/64[58] Field ofSearch ..214/5l5; 254/47,4C

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,164,275 l/l965 Schatzl etal ..2l4/5 15 3,486,652 12/1969 Seward ..2l4/515 Primary Examiner-AlbertJ. Makay AztomeyHolman & Stern [57] ABSTRACT The invention consists inthe combination of a motor driven chassis and a platform having frontand rear supporting legs with releasable struts. The legs are hingedlysecured to the platform and the latter is provided with rollers at itsforward end and towards its rear end is provided with a combination offixed and movable pulleys together with cable trained over the pulleysand anchored to the rear legs and to a fixture.

The chassis is provided with rails extending along the chassis girders,the rails being pivoted to the girders towards their forward ends andforming downwardly inclined ramps at their rear ends. The chassis isfurther provided with a pair of toggles operated by a hydraulic pistonand cylinder assembly and having hooklike members.- When the chassis isbacked below a free standing platform the rollers cooperate with theramps and run on the rails, the front end of the platfonn is raised, thestruts of the front legs are released and said legs are folded upwardlyand rearwardly, the toggles are then operated to raise the rails, tocause the hooklike members to lock the platform to the chassis and tomove the movable pulleys so that the cables release the struts of therear legs which are folded upwardly and inwardly, further movement ofthe toggles lowering the platform and the rails. By reversing themovement of the piston the cycle of operations is reversed to leave theplatform free standing.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PKTENTEDMAR28 I972 3,651,970

sum 1 [IF 4 INVENTOR URUMMUND ST EEN POYNER BLACK P'A'TE'N'TED AR28 I9723.651.970

sum 3 or 4' I INVENTOR URUMMUHU STEEN PUYNER BLACK PATENTEBMAR28 1972SHEET U [1F 4 INVENTOR DRUMMOII STEEN POYNER BLACK I 1 MOTOR DRIVENVEHICULAR CHASSIS AND LOAD CARRYING PLATFORM OR CONTAINER FOR TRANSPORTTHEREBY This invention has reference to motor driven vehicular chassisand load carrying platform or container combinations, the platform orcontainer being detachably secured to the chassis and having front andrear supporting legs by which it can be supported free standing. Whenthe platform or container is secured to the chassis the legs assume aposition in which they are held clear of the ground. Such combinationsare hereinafter referred to as the kind specified.

The platform may have side walls and may constitute the base of acontainer and the term platform will be understood to cover.a platformwith or without side walls and also containers.

The present invention has for its object to provide improvements in suchcombination and particularly to the means by which the platform isattached to the chassis and'detached therefrom and by which the legs areactuated so that they can support the platform free standing andthereafter rendered in-.

operative so that they will not bear on the ground when the platform isbeing transported on the chassis.

According to the present invention in a motor driven vehicular chassisand platform combination of the kind specified the platform is providedwith rollers at the front end thereof, a pair of front and a pair ofrear legs hinged to the platform to swing upwardly from a verticalplatform supporting position, releasable struts to maintain the legs intheir vertical position and, located towards the rear thereof, acombination of fixed pulleys and movable pulleys and cables or chainspassed over said pulleys, the movable pulleys being carried by a slidingmember and one end of each cable or chain being anchored to a rear legand the other end thereof anchored to a fixture and the vehicularchassis is provided with rails pivotally supported at their front endson the chassis girders and having ramps at their rear ends which, whenthe chassis is backed to a free standing platform cooperate with therollers to raise the front of the platform and its front legs, means atthe rear of the chassis to release the struts of the front legs, runnersto raise the front legs when their struts are released and power meansby the operation of which the platform is secured to the chassissupported on the rails, the rails raised so that the rear legs clear theground and the member carrying the movable pulleys slid to swing therear legs upwardly, further movement of the power means dropping therails with platform thereon on to the girders so that the chassis withplatform thereon can be driven away, reversal of the foregoing cycle ofoperations leaving the platform free standmg.

The invention further consists in a chassis and platform combination asset forth in the preceding paragraph wherein the front legs are hingedto swing rearwards and the rear legs are mounted to swing inwards.

Each strut preferably comprises two pivotally interconnected linkshaving a projecting pin at its pivot and the chassis is provided withtrip plates at the rear thereof to cooperate with the pins of the strutsof the front legs such cooperation breaking the struts to permit thesaid legs to swing upwards and the cables or chains pass under the pinsof the struts of the rear legs so that when tensioned the struts arebroken to permit the rear legs to swing upwards.

The said power operated means is conveniently in the form of adouble-acting hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly controlled from thedrivers cabin and a pair of parallel toggles operated by the piston,said toggles having hooklike members to make locking engagement with theplatform mounted on the rails.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention andwherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the motor driven chassis which is shown partlyin section;

FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the load carrying platform;

FIG. 4 is a plan view thereof; and

FIG. 5 is an end elevation thereof, the left hand side of this Figureshowing a rear supporting leg and the right hand side thereof showing afront supporting leg;

FIG. 6 is an elevation of the combined motor driven chassis and loadcarrying platform; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 the load carrying platform 10, which may bethe base of a container, comprises a rectangular skeleton frame 1 lwhich may carry a base or floor, not shown, with or without side walls.

The forward end of this frame carries two axially aligned rollers 12 andnear said end are two front legs 13 hinged at 13a one at each side ofthe frame so that they can swing upwardly and rearwardly. Each leg isprovided with a collapsible strut to retain it in its vertical position,each strut comprising two pivotally interconnected links 14 and 14ahinged to the frame and leg respectively.

Each strut has an inwardly projecting pin 14b at the common pivot of thelinks. The front or leading face of each leg 13 carries two transverselyextending rollers 15 and 15a, said rollers being substantially thebreadth of the leg.

Towards the rear of said frame are two rear legs 16 hinged at 16a one ateach side thereof to swing upwardly and inwardly. Each rear leg has astrut formed of 'two pivotally interconnected links 17 and 17a connectedto the leg and to a bracket carried by a longitudinally extending beam18 of the frame respectively. Also connected at 19d to each leg 16 isone end of a chain or cable 19 which passes under a pin 16b at thecommon pivot to the two links 17 and 17a, over fixed guide pulleys 19a,over a movable guide pulley 19b and at its other end is anchored to atransverse member of the frame.

The two movable pulleys 19b are carried by a horizontally slidingcarriage 20 which is supported by a pair of guide rails, not shown, sothat it can slide longitudinally of the frame i.e., towards and awayfrom the rear of the frame.

The vehicle has a chassis of conventional construction, see FIGS. 1 and2, that is it has two longitudinally extending side girders 22interconnected by transverse members and supported by front and rearground wheels 23 and 24 which are spaced outwardly from the chassis Atthe front of the chassis is the usual drivers cabin 25.

Each girder supports a rail formed of two sections, namely a short rigidrail or ramp section 26 which slopes upwardly from the rear of the cabinand a relatively long rail section 27 which at its forward end isinclined as at 28 to form a continuation of the adjacent short rail andat its rear end forms a downwardly inclined ramp 28a. The two longerrail sections are interconnected by cross members and are pivotallysupported at their forward ends by vertical brackets 29 secured to thegirders. At the front ends of the shorter rail sections 26 are uprightstops 30 having rearwardly extending overhanging abutments 31.

The chassis also supports front and rear out-riggers 32 on which aremounted horizontally extending broad rails or runners 33 downwardlycurved at their rear extremities to extend over the rear of the rearwheel guards. Towards the rear end of the chassis are two toggles 34which are spaced apart and occupy vertical planes. The lower link 35 ofeach toggle is pivoted between brackets 35a mounted on a transverselyextending member 35b secured to the girders 22 forming the chassis andthe upper link 37 of each toggle is pivoted between plates, not shown,mounted on transversely extending members 35c welded or otherwisesecured to the inner sides of the two longer rail sections 27.

The upper ends of the upper links carry hooklike members 39.

The common pivots of the two toggles are interconnected by means of across head 36 which can swivel about the axis of the common pivot of thetoggles and is connected by means of two rearwardly extending connectingrods 40 to a slide 41 supported by parallel guides, not shown, rigidwith the pivoted longer rail sections 27 and located near the rear endsof the rails. The rear of this slide has an angle iron cross bar 410 toengage the sliding carriage 20 of the platform Also supported by thevehicle chassis towards the rear thereof is a double-acting hydraulicram and cylinder assembly 42 to which pressure fluid can be suppliedunder the control of valve means, not shown, located in the driverscabin. The ram is connected to the cross head 36. Carried by the rearOutriggers 32 and further outriggers 32a are trip ramps 32b.

In describing the operation of the combined vehicular driven chassis andthe load carrying platform it will first be assumed that the latter isfree standing. That is it is supported by its front legs 13 which are intheir vertical position and by the vertical rear legs 16 which are alsoin their vertical position, the legs being retained in their verticalposition by their struts. It will also be assumed that the platform issupporting a load which has to be transported.

The long hinged sections 27 of the rails are then lying horizontallyover 'the girders 22 by which they are supported and the cross head 36is then in its forward position so that the two toggles are collapsed inthe position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1. i

To mount the platform on the vehicle chassis the vehicle is maneuveredso that its chassis is backed below the forward end of the free standingplatform. As the chassis is being backed the rollers 12 at the leadingor front end of the platform engage the upwardly inclined ramps 28a atthe rear end of the rails 27 of the chassis and the front of theplatform is thereby raised. The front legs 13 are therefore raised clearof the ground.

The inwardly projecting pins 14b are then actuated by the trip ramps 32bso that the struts formed by the links 14 and 140 are broken to permitthe struts to collapse. Consequently when the legs 13 engage the guidesor runners 33 the struts collapse and the legs swing backwards to asubstantially horizontal position in which they are retained by the saidguides or runners, the rollers 15 and 15a then running on the guides orrunners.

The vehicle continues its backing movement until the rollers 12 run onthe ramps 26 and abut against the stops 30. Thereafter the hydraulicpiston and cylinder assembly is energized under the control of thedriver in the cabin to move the cross head 36 towards the rear of thechassis, such movement resulting in the toggle links being straightenedand the rear ends of the rails raised as shown in dotted lines inFIG. 1. The rear legs 16 are thus raised clear of the ground. Saidtoggles also perform two further functions. Their hooklike members 39engage a transverse member 43 of the platform thereby locking theplatform to the rails and through their connecting rods 40 a rearwardsliding movement is imparted to the slide 41. A like movement is therebytransmitted by the cross bar 14a to the carriage 20 carrying the movablepulleys 19b. The cables 19 are thereby placed under tension and bybearing on the pins 16b they break the struts of the legs 16. Thecontinued movement results in the two rear legs 16 being raised intotheir collapsed position.

Continued movement of the cross head in the same direction results inthe toggles being moved through their dead center and the rails 17together with the platform being lowered to rest on the girders of thevehicle.

' The vehicle with the platform securely locked to its chassis can thenbe driven away.

To detach the platform and leave it free standing the the hydraulicassembly 32 is energized to push the cross head 36 forwardly therebystraightening the toggles. This results in the hooklike members beingfreed from the transverse member 43, in the rear ends of the rails 27being raised together with the platform and in the carriage 20 carryingthe movable pulleys being moved forward. The rear legs then drop to avertical position. When the toggles pass through their dead center therails are lowered to be supported horizontally by the chassis girders,the rear end of the platform being left supported by the rear legs. Thevehicle can .then be driven forward. This results in the rollers 12running up the ramps 26 and the ramps 28 at the leading ends of thefixed rail sections thus bringing the platform into a substantiallyhorizontal position. As the vehicle continues to move forward the saidbroad rails or runners 33 continue to support the legs 15 in theircollapsed position until their small transverse rollers 15 and 15a rundown the downwardly curved ends of the said broad guides or runnersthereby allowing the front legs to assume their substantially verticalposition. Said legs, together with the rear legs, when the chassis ismoved clear of the platform, then support the latter in its freestanding position.

1 What is claimed is:

l. A motor driven vehicular chassis and platform combination wherein theplatform is provided with rollers at the front end thereof, a pair offront and a pair of rear legs hinged to the platform to swing upwardlyfrom a vertical platform supporting position, releasable struts tomaintain the legs in their vertical position and, located towards therear thereof, a combination of fixed pulleys and movable pulleys andcables or chains passed over said pulleys, the movable pulleys beingcarried by a sliding member and one end of each cable or chain beinganchored to a rear leg and the other end thereof anchored to a fixtureand the vehicular chassis is provided with rails pivotally supported attheir front ends on the chassis girders and having ramps at their rearend which, when the chassis is backed to a free standing platformcooperatewith the rollers to raise the front of the platform and itsfront legs, means at the rear of the chassis to release the struts ofthe front legs, runners to raise the front legs when their struts arereleased and power means by the operation of which the platform issecured to the chassis supported on the rails, the rails raised so thatthe rear legs clear the ground and the member carrying the movablepulleys slid to swing the rear legs upwardly, further movement of thepower means dropping the rails with platform thereon on to the girdersso that the chassis with platform thereon can be driven away, reversalof the foregoing cycle of operations leaving the platform free stand-1ng.

2. A chassis and platform combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein thefront legs are hinged to swing rearwards and the rear legs are mountedto swing inwards.

3. A chassis and platform combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein eachstrut comprises two pivotally interconnected links having a projectingpin at its pivot and the chassis is provided with trip plates at therear thereof to cooperate with the pins of the struts of the front legssuch cooperation breaking the struts to permit the said legs to swingupwards and the cables or chains pass under the pins of the struts ofthe rear legs so that when tensioned the struts are broken to permit therear legs to swing upwards.

4. A chassis and platform combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein thepower operated means is in the form of a doubleacting hydraulic pistonand cylinder assembly and a pair of parallel toggles operated by thepiston, said toggles having hooklike members to make locking engagementwith the platform mounted on the rails.

1. A motor driven vehicular chassis and platform combination wherein theplatform is provided with rollers at the front end thereof, a pair offront and a pair of rear legs hinged to the platform to swing upwardlyfrom a vertical platform supporting position, releasable struts tomaintain the legs in their vertical position and, located towards therear thereof, a combination of fixed pulleys and movable pulleys andcables or chains passed over said pulleys, the movable pulleys beingcarried by a sliding member and one end of each cable or chain beinganchored to a rear leg and the other end thereof anchored to a fixtureand the vehicular chassis is provided with rails pivotally supported attheir front ends on the chassis girders and having ramps at their rearend which, when the chassis is backed to a free standing platformcooperate with the rollers to raise the front of the platform and itsfront legs, means at the rear of the chassis to release tHe struts ofthe front legs, runners to raise the front legs when their struts arereleased and power means by the operation of which the platform issecured to the chassis supported on the rails, the rails raised so thatthe rear legs clear the ground and the member carrying the movablepulleys slid to swing the rear legs upwardly, further movement of thepower means dropping the rails with platform thereon on to the girdersso that the chassis with platform thereon can be driven away, reversalof the foregoing cycle of operations leaving the platform free standing.2. A chassis and platform combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein thefront legs are hinged to swing rearwards and the rear legs are mountedto swing inwards.
 3. A chassis and platform combination as claimed inclaim 1 wherein each strut comprises two pivotally interconnected linkshaving a projecting pin at its pivot and the chassis is provided withtrip plates at the rear thereof to cooperate with the pins of the strutsof the front legs such cooperation breaking the struts to permit thesaid legs to swing upwards and the cables or chains pass under the pinsof the struts of the rear legs so that when tensioned the struts arebroken to permit the rear legs to swing upwards.
 4. A chassis andplatform combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the power operatedmeans is in the form of a double-acting hydraulic piston and cylinderassembly and a pair of parallel toggles operated by the piston, saidtoggles having hooklike members to make locking engagement with theplatform mounted on the rails.